After a critically acclaimed start with films like “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” actor/director Thomas McCarthy, has hit a few bumps in the road while diversifying his career. The fact is, McCarthy has taken risks. He’s written at Pixar (“Up”) and taken on some challenges (“Win/Win” features some terrific performances, but is a uneven effort), but few would argue that his would-be whimsical fairy tale comedy “The Cobbler” starring Adam Sandler wasn’t a huge misguided folly (and actually, don’t put the blame on Sandler, either).

But if there are those looking for a McCarthy comeback in a big way, his upcoming picture “Spotlight” looks like the real deal. Co-written by Josh Singer (“The West Wing”) and McCarthy, “Spotlight” stars Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Michael Keaton in a true story about a team of Boston Globe reporters who uncovered a massive scandal of child abuse and cover-ups within the local Catholic Church (one has to wonder if McCarthy was bit by the newsroom bug after playing the unethical journo in the fifth season of “The Wire”).

Also co-starring Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James and Billy Crudup, “Spotlight” is set to make it’s international premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September. It will make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in late August and its TIFF status probably means you won’t see it in Telluride. Surely vying for Oscar contention when it lands in theaters on November 6. You’ll be able to pre-judge its award season merits below as the first trailer for the drama has just arrived. Watch the clip and tell us what you think.

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Zhao said with her Bass Reeves biopic, she’ll direct a more traditional cast like she did with her first-timers: “You can work with an actor in a certain way, you can create an environment like Terrence Malick has always done.”